And all the guests that [were] with Adonijah [were] afraid,
&c.] Though many of them were military men, the general of the army, and the captains thereof, ( 1 Kings 1:19 1 Kings 1:25 ) ; yet they were struck with a panic, their courage failed them, they had no spirit left in them, their hearts became as weak as water; had they exerted themselves according to their character, betaken themselves to arms, and put themselves at the head of their troops in favour of Adonijah, it would have given Solomon and his friends a great deal of trouble; no doubt this panic was of God:
and rose up, and went every man his way;
or to his house, as the Arabic version; on hearing what Jonathan reported, they immediately rose up from table in great haste, and made the best of their way to their houses, that it might not be known that they had been with Adonijah.